GMcG:  When did you start in the industry?

ML:  I “stumbled” into this industry in the late 70’s. I ‘d been working in bands and as a DJ (when the live music scene took a nosedive) and I found myself writing copy and eventually presenting on-air for a sort of clubbie/disco show on 2KY of all stations. That didn’t last long, as did all of my jobs early on and I found myself working as a PA doing film stories for the Mike Walsh show. Pretty good experience that. Basically they’d dream up colour stories for the likes of Jeannie Little, Dr. Wright, Greg Evans, Jan Adele and dozens of other “celebrities” and we’d package them into stories for the show. Lots of bizarre episodes, poor Jan Adele plummeting about 200 feet into Sydney Harbour during an unsuccessful parasailing attempt.

Jeannie Littles DIY spa bath – a plastic garbage bin filled with alka –seltzer and Enos, Geoff Harvey letting his ferrets loose on Noorah the Belly Dancer. Those were the days! From there I ventured into TV commercials eventually writing and directing. Somehow in 1982 I found myself anchoring a TV sports show on SBS which led to a couple of years as a sports & news reporter. Highlights- taking the Juventus football team night-clubbing in Melbourne. Lowlights- calling the entire Chinese National Womens Softball Team back to front during a telecast. All of that in my first five years in the business – don’t think that’s possible now!

GMcG:  I remember you mentioning Angus Young (ACDC)? What was that about? 

ML:  Back in the garage band days so its all a bit vague, we’d played a couple of unpaid gigs on the same bill as AC/DC at school dances or small social clubs- this is back in the days when even a dud suburb like Epping would have three or four gigs happening. I remember Acca Dacca pre Bon Scott- very “Countdown” lots of satin! The talk was all about their supposedly 12 year old guitarist- Angus- hence the school uniform stuff. He wasn’t really 12, just looked it – but a bloody scary guitar player even then. I’d been dating a girl who claimed to be his ex and she dragged me over to the Young household a couple of times (think she was keen on Malcolm by then). It didn’t dawn on me that I was stepping across the threshold of Rock n Rolls first family, I do recall the thick fog of cigarette smoke – they all smoked ALL the time and following the sound of Angus playing scales out to the back of house and into his room. My memory might be playing tricks but I swear he was sitting on his bed in a bonds singlet and y fronts, ciggy drooping from his lips looking for all the world like an underfed 12 year old and laying down these incredible chops – I’ll swear the riff from Whole Lotta Rosie was among them- but perhaps my memory is somewhat embellished. Knowing myself at the time I probably told him if he dropped the schoolboy shit and found a decent hairdresser, he might have a future in music ….ahem! 

GMcG:  You do commercials /corporate/special events, any particular favourite?

ML:  There have been literally thousands of commercials (I mean literally) so it’s all a bit of a blur. The live event stuff has occurred more recently so things like producing the Mo Awards in 2003/2004 is a standout ( they cancelled them after that- what did I do?) I’ve always had a soft spot for stage, so producing shows with the likes of Caroline O’Connor, James Morrison and Chelsea Gibb was memorable. Swapping puns and with Patrick Cook and Jean Kittson as we prepared the script for the last show was pretty cool as well.

GMcG:  I know you've done some DVD releases. Tell us about those.

ML:  The best thing about the DVD’s is that my mother can now tell people what I do. “He make’s these television shows about fish!”

The idea was to create “Living Art” for PC screens, Wide screen TVs, nightclubs etc. and was cooked up with a graphic designer named Mark Denning. Basically the concept is a passive camera with something beautiful and evocative to look at. We started with the Aquarium, then Fireplace, Birdcage. It’s been an interesting diversion. The reviews about our first release were positive but all complained about lack of extras! Extras – what do they want interviews with fish! So for the fireplace, we made some up. You get an interview with the director, outlining his passion for fires, even a special bonus inclusion of his first efforts as a young lad with a Super 8 camera. We reached our apotheosis with DVD Birdcage, where the Extras include the behind the scenes “Making of DVD Birdcage” and the creation of our unique Bird animation CGI software “Bird Animator.1”.

We then poured all our profits into the ultimate Living Art DVD project “Sirens” which features beautiful women swimming underwater for your viewing pleasure (its ART they are not naked!) Of course none of the major retailers would stock it! So we’ve shelved plans for retirement in the Bahamas and we are working on some more landscape titles – for more information www.dvdproductions.com.au

GMcG:  Tell us about your stage work? Writing for theatre etc... What do you love about it? Anything coming up?

ML:  Having two daughters who are actors basically gave me the opportunity to re-involve myself with theatre. I set up a co-operative theatre company “Smart Arts” in Mittagong where we had lived for the past two decades. In short we needed a Show to kick us off and decided a Christmas Panto would be the trick. All the scripts we found were absolute rubbish so I cooked up a scenario which became “Sleeping Bewdy”. Lots of contemporary references – Princess Kylie, The Crocodile Hunting Prince, and a few favours from old friends – Geoff Harvey as a King (possibly the worst performance ever to grace the stage – he climaxed the final night by drop kicking the baby princess into the audience) and we had a hit. The company has since produced about ten shows. I followed up with another Christmas Show in 2003 and I’ve written a review which fingers crossed will be produced this coming December. Any luck and we will bring it to Sydney early next year.


GMcG:  Anything you'd still like to achieve creatively?

ML:  There’s the film scripts of course but (sob) I really don’t want to talk about those, if you don’t mind. I’ve produced a couple of Australian Bush Song compilations with Russell Finch which have done very nicely and I’ve learnt to love royalties.


GMcG:  Being someone like me who's experienced steam TV and digital production, what do you like most about today's tools?

ML:  Being at the creative end of things, the tools of the trade have always been a bit beyond me. However we used to consider television a very limited medium. Your concepts were always heavily defined by what was creatively possible within the technical boundaries of broadcast television and of course the budgets you work to in a small industry. Its ironic that just as digital technology is opening up new possibilities and bringing them within a reasonable reach on even the tightest budgets, the broadcast medium, free to air television is a dead duck. I’ve worked on a few pilots in the past 12 months and my advice is FORGET free to air. If there is hope and I believe there is, its Broadband.

GMcG:   Where do you see the industry going over the next ten years? How will production companies work?

ML:  The experience with the DVD's and indeed with CDs over the past decade has lead me to believe there is a growing market for content – but it’s not traditional. We recently licensed DVD Sirens for narrowcast in Europe – not big bucks but its spreading the word. I’ve got plans for a documentary series that I’d expect to market in the same way.

GMcG: Finally, what's your most fulfilling production?

ML:  Probably watching my daughters perform the schtick I wrote for the Christmas Theatre Shows – they were pulling big laughs in their roles and I must admit to feeling particularly smug as I sat back in the audience and watch as they nailed it – you don’t make any money out of theatre, but boy do you get some kicks.

A big thanks to Mark for laying his career out for all to see.  We wish him all the best for the future.